Sore throat, coughing up blood: Beware of dangerous diseases

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Dr. CCII Nguyen Van Thai - Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Vinmec Danang International General Hospital. Thai doctor has more than 17 years of treatment experience, especially in the field of Head and Neck Surgery.
Sore throat, coughing up blood is very dangerous, if not treated early and properly, it can cause many dangerous complications to the patient's health such as respiratory tract infections, ear, nose and throat cancer. lung cancer... even death.

1. Distinguishing symptoms of sore throat, coughing up blood with similar symptoms

Fresh bloody sputum is seen by coughing up bloody sputum during exertion. Sputum when spitting up may be accompanied by bright red or pink blood. Before coughing, the patient showed signs of burning behind the sternum, chest pain as well as sore throat. This amount of blood will avoid gradually following the urge to spit and then run out.
Pharyngitis spits up blood from the nasopharynx No need to cough, it still spits up blood, accompanied by bleeding diseases in the nose such as nosebleeds, dental disease, Nasal polyps, especially Nasal cancer, ... These manifestations are related to diseases of otolaryngology, bronchi - lungs...
Vomiting blood Blood is also released from the esophagus, however, the amount of blood is mixed with food and there is no foam. These manifestations are often accompanied by abdominal pain and are related to some digestive diseases such as cirrhosis of the liver, peptic ulcer, ... due to prolonged use of pain relievers.

2. Sore throat, coughing up blood is dangerous?

Pharyngitis coughing up blood is a manifestation of many dangerous diseases such as bronchitis, bronchiectasis, pulmonary tuberculosis, lung cancer, Nasopharyngeal cancer, .... Thus, it can be confirmed that pharyngitis coughs up blood. Very dangerous, if not treated early and properly, it can cause many dangerous complications to the patient's health, even death.

3. Causes of sore throat, coughing up blood

Injury to the upper respiratory tract When damaged teeth, gums or any part of the upper respiratory tract can cause pharyngitis with bloody sputum. Causes of damage due to teeth grinding while sleeping, eating, brushing teeth improperly, due to erratic hot and cold eating affecting the throat...
Diseases of the upper respiratory tract such as pharyngitis, tonsillitis , rhinitis, cancer of the arch, ... causing sore throat. This causes the lining of the throat to become swollen and edematous with blood. When there is pressure, the blood vessels of the throat mucosa burst and stick to the sputum.
Infection Bacterial, viral infections such as Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, or Aspergillus fungal infections can cause sore throat with bloody sputum.
Pathologies in the bronchi and lungs Pulmonary embolism, bronchitis, pneumonia. Common symptoms: Severe shortness of breath, wheezing, low-grade fever. Coughing up blood, chest pain, always tired.
Other diseases Besides, some other diseases can cause pharyngitis that spits up blood such as pulmonary venous occlusion, pulmonary edema, lupus erythematosus.

4. Sore throat, coughing up blood are symptoms of what disease? How to properly diagnose the disease?

4.1. Pulmonary tuberculosis Pulmonary tuberculosis is one of the infectious diseases in Vietnam with a high rate. So this is a very common cause of coughing up blood.

Symptoms of the disease In addition to coughing up fresh blood, people with pulmonary tuberculosis may experience some other symptoms such as: Coughing up sputum for more than 2 weeks with fresh blood or blood in the sputum more or less. Along with that, the patient has symptoms of mild fever in the afternoon, chest pain, night sweats, shortness of breath, poor appetite, fatigue, thin weight loss, ....
Diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis is a disease that is easily transmitted through the respiratory tract and leaves many sequelae. Therefore, if a patient has any of the above symptoms, they should seek medical attention immediately. To diagnose this condition, the patient can take X-ray of the lungs and test the sputum.
4.2. Bronchiectasis Bronchiectasis is one of the complications of pulmonary tuberculosis, caused by chronic infections in the lungs such as lung abscesses or pneumonia due to aspiration of foreign bodies, ... This is the cause of cough and sputum. bleeding.
Symptoms The disease is detected by coughing up blood in a small amount (about 1 teaspoon from 3 to 5ml). This phenomenon recurs for many 3-5 days. If not treated early, coughing up blood will weigh more than 100ml, the risk of death is very high
Diagnosis The diagnosis of bronchiectasis is through chest X-ray and chest CT with contrast. Once the cause of the disease has been determined, the doctors will conduct surgical treatment to remove the dilated lung or embolism
4.3. Respiratory tract infections: Respiratory tract infections are mainly caused by acute pneumonia, necrotizing pneumonia, lung abscess, lung fungus, and lung fungal tumor.
Symptoms of the disease Some symptoms of a respiratory infection are: fever, morning bloody cough, pleuritic chest pain.
Diagnosis of the disease The disease is mainly diagnosed through blood tests, chest X-ray or CT scan, sputum test.
4.4. Cancer in the Ear, Nose and Throat Nasal cancer Nasal cancer, throat cancer, larynx cancer, mouth cancer, ... are the most common cancers in our country. The disease is common in people who often smoke, drink alcohol, eat unhealthy, ...
Disease symptoms Some symptoms of cancer of the roof of the mouth include: bad throat, loose teeth, colored tongue pale, discolored, difficult to swallow. When having arch cancer, the tumor area will show signs of sores, bad smell, blockage in the neck, choking, difficulty swallowing, coughing up blood...
Diagnosis of the disease Cytological diagnosis: Using a stick cotton or a special tool to wipe the tumor tissue in the dome. The aim of the method is to obtain an early preliminary diagnosis.
Diagnosis of pathophysiology: Biopsy of the arch through the nose and oropharynx is the decisive factor for the diagnosis. Special cases must be diagnosed indirectly through cervical lymph node biopsy.

Laryngeal cancer Laryngeal cancer occurs in men many times more often than women. In Otolaryngology, laryngeal cancer ranks second after nasopharyngeal cancer.
Symptoms of the disease Some symptoms of laryngeal cancer: hoarseness, difficulty swallowing – choking, swollen lymph nodes in the corner of the jaw. In addition to noticing that the throat is foul, the patient can also clearly notice the obstacles blocking the neck, coughing up blood-stained sputum, swollen throat, pain, ... In the case of laryngeal cancer , the patient also lost voice, pain spread to the ear, cough itches, coughed up blood.
Diagnosis of the disease Diagnosis of laryngeal cancer includes a definitive diagnosis of the disease and a diagnosis of the stage of the disease. Laryngoscopy is a method to help see the patient's larynx clearly. In addition, the doctor will conduct supportive methods: CT scan, biopsy, and pathology.
4.5. Bronchial cancer, also known as broncho-pulmonary cancer, is the second most common cancer in the world.
Symptoms of the disease Symptoms of bronchial cancer can be: Cough a lot, persistent cough and continuous cough with sputum leading to voice changes causing hoarseness, sometimes coughing up blood. Heavy breathing, wheezing. Loss of appetite, difficulty swallowing, unexplained weight loss, and constant fatigue. Bone and joint pain, swelling in the neck and face. Pain in the back, chest, and shoulders, especially when carrying heavy objects or when you cough or laugh.
Diagnosis The doctor will combine: sputum test, chest X-ray, CT scan to diagnose the disease.
4.6. Lung cancer In addition to the malignant diseases mentioned above, coughing up blood with pink foam is also a sign of lung cancer.
Symptoms of the disease This disease occurs silently, the early stages often have very few symptoms and occur in many smokers. If this condition lasts, the patient will have other signs such as: chest pain, shortness of breath, prolonged cough, weight loss, coughing up blood...
Diagnosis Diagnose the disease through a number of tests such as chest X-ray, chest CT with contrast, tumor biopsy, bronchoscopy. Depending on the severity and condition of the disease, the doctor will prescribe the most suitable treatment method.

5. What to do when you have a sore throat and cough up blood?

4.1. Treatment of the disease Coughing up blood is divided into 3 different severity levels. When this condition is only in the early stages, it is necessary to follow up to find the cause. Some notes to be taken when the patient has a sore throat, coughs up blood:
If the patient has a mild blood clot, it can be destroyed by bronchoscopy. In case the amount of blood secreted into the vessel wall is quite large, the specialist doctor will close the blood vessel with minor bronchial angiography as well as embolization. If the person with the disease has a lot of bleeding, a blood transfusion will be used to ensure an adequate amount of blood in the body. Not only that, there are also folk remedies that are combined to nourish the body as well as ensure. However, this solution is only effective for specific subjects, it is imperative to be consistent as well as to know where the fresh bleeding sputum is coming from. 4.2. Nutrition Besides reasonable rest, avoiding heavy work, the patient needs to have a reasonable diet.
Some good foods for sick people who cough up blood are: Honey, teacher's code, blood porridge, lotus root porridge, pork, fresh fruit ... These foods are benign to help promote health and reduce cough. Besides, the patient should note that foods such as hot spicy foods, seafood, wine, beer, chicken, roasted peanuts and allergenic foods ... will make your cough worse. . If you follow the above steps within 2-3 days but the symptoms of coughing up blood do not improve, the patient should be taken to the hospital.

4.3. Living habits In addition to treatment, patients can improve their condition through some simple methods in daily life habits as follows:
Drink plenty of water every day: drink at least 8 glasses of water to dilute phlegm as well as mucus in the throat. Gargle with salt water: Salt water soothes the throat, reduces inflammation, heats the throat as well as thins mucus quickly. To get rid of phlegm faster, you can add eucalyptus oil to hot water to create a mouthwash. Periodically blow the nose to prevent phlegm from flowing in. Limit irritants found in paints, household cleaners, chemicals, and cigarette smoke. Use menthol, eucalyptus ... to steam or take a hot bath, breathe in the water to breathe as well as loosen phlegm in time. Pharyngitis, coughing up blood are signs of respiratory tract damage, which can lead to dangerous complications in the long run. Therefore, when you have a sore throat at the beginning or you already have a cough with blood, you should go to a medical facility for examination and treatment, combined with improvement in nutrition and daily living habits to prevent disease. soon recovered.
Otolaryngology - Vinmec International General Hospital specializes in examination and treatment of common ENT diseases such as: sore throat, tinnitus, non-allergic rhinitis, throat cancer; tumors of the head, face and neck, congenital malformations of the ear, nose and throat area by common surgical methods.

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